SALUTE YOUR SHORTS

A FISTFUL OF PISTOLS

Director: Joseph HeathTwo men meet in the wild west for a good old fashioned quick draw shoot 'em up situation.

BEANS

Director: Maxwell NalevanskyAn idiosyncratic story of an elderly artist who lives and paints alone on a property in the woods. Steve, the painter, decides one day to make a sign that reads "Free Beans," offering a bowl of steaming hot beans to any drifter who might stumble by. Our Narrator takes the audience through a rhapsodic telling of the day he met the painter who cooked him a life-changing bowl of beans.

DAHLIA

Director: Ana MouyisThrough a metaphorical narrative about love, Dahlia explores a relationship between two people which is burdened by mental illness. Journey through a colorful and ever-changing world; a hand-painted realm that shifts and morphs to portray a darkened state of mind.

HAJJI

Director: R.H. NormanA fateful encounter between two U.S. Marines and an Afghan teenager fuels a wartime cycle of violence in this inspired-by-true-events short starring Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead) and Dayo Okeniyi (Hunger Games).

MY DEAD DAD'S PORNO TAPES

Director: Charlie TyrellIn this touching documentary, filmmaker Charlie Tyrell attempts to gain a better understanding of his deceased father through his personal effects—including a stash of VHS pornography tapes—and an exploration of his family history.

MY LETHAL WEAPON

Director Hope LeighA young blonde must navigate treacherous power dynamics after she's pulled over by an increasingly "friendly" cop.

RALPH AND OLLIE

POISON

Director: Brandt ShanderaA Tinder date goes from awkward to frightening when the conversation turns to poison.

RETURN FROM DESOLATION

Director: Justin CliftonGarrett Eaton, an Afghan war vet, oilman, and river guide, has fought his way back from addiction and certain death with the help of the wild, serpentine rivers of the American Southwest. This is a story of renewal, forgiveness and healing, but it’s also a bridge between what we think we know and the nuance of what it means to be human in a complex society. Through Garrett's experience, we see the importance of wild, public landscapes to help us all find our way home.

THE SILVER SCREEN

Director: Paul WilliamsFilm buffs Marty and Anna come into conflict when dreamer Marty's desire to reopen the local movie theater clashes with the reality of the impending birth of their child.

SHORT ENDS

Presented by NERDIST

42 COUNTS

Director: Jill GevargizianInspired by a true story, two unsuspecting victims spend their night off watching scary movies in an apartment rented from their boss—until they uncover something much more sinister than what they're watching on screen.

AMY

Director: L. Gustavo Cooper.Set against the backdrop of the deadliest heatwave in recorded history and inspired by America’s most prolific female serial killer, L. Gustavo Cooper's Amy provides a surreal and distorted glimpse into a killing spree that captivated a nation in the early 1900s.

BABS

Director: Celine HeldAn estranged son discovers an alarming purchase made by his late father.

BESTIA

Director: Gigi GuerreroBestia follows the lone survivor (Mathias Retamal) of a disaster as he awakens on a deserted beach. It becomes clear that there are more dangers lurking in the woods than a hungry beast.

GREAT CHOICE

THE AFTER PARTY

Director: Colin CostelloMeet Skye Monroe. Reality Show Star. Social Media Queen. And blissfully unaware of how self-centered she is. Skye drinks what she wants, snorts what she wants and takes who she wants. Skye doesn't really have friends, but followers, tagging along for every moment of her life thanks to her endless streams of posts. But tonight, Skye will be put on trial for her deeds. Her courtroom is a little dive bar tucked away in the corner of any urban decay, appropriately called, The After Party. Her jury will be four sophisticated women shooting a game of billiards.

TRANSMISSION

Director: Varun RamanWelcome to Britannia. Together we stand alone.

WE SUMMONED A DEMON

Director: Chris McInroyThey just wanted to be cool. Instead they got a demon.

WTF (WATCH THESE FILMS)

ALLEN ANDERS

BFF GIRLS

Director: Brian LonanoThree dorky American girls magically transform into beautiful Japanese superheroes and fight a tampon monster as they begin their journey into womanhood.

COME ON MANDY

Director: Josh WilmottA doc/fiction hybrid about a dog who refuses to listen.

HECTOR FELIX

Director: William BagleyA thriller/comedy with a retro vibe, Hector Felix is about a drunk who stumbles upon a group of thugs playing cards in the back of a gas station. Shot on 16mm, and accompanied by a killer soundtrack; Hector Felix is nothing short of a good time.

HOMER_A

SETACEOUS

Director: Tel BenjaminA group of neighbors, after being awoken in the dead of night by its alarm, investigate a seemingly abandoned car in the middle of their cul-de-sac in the inner suburbs. Slowly they begin to realize the car may not be as abandoned as first perceived and holds something far darker in store for them.

SOCKS ON FIRE

Director: Bo McGuireA failed poet takes up cinematic arms when he returns home to Hokes Bluff, Ala. to find his aunt has locked his drag queen uncle out of the family home.

STAY

Director: David MikalsonA cult of women summon a demon, but one rogue member, Carol, gets in the way of their plans.

THE ACCOMPLICE

Directors: John F. Beach, Jonathan HoegA man discovers his unwitting participation in a bank robbery across a series of increasingly incriminating (and hilarious) answering machine messages.

WEIRD

Director: Fausto MontanariIn this animated film, a young girl explains how personal preference and individuality are the ties that bind us all together.

SHORTS PAIRED WITH FEATURES

EMERGENCY

Director: Carey WilliamsFaced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police. Paired with Lowlife

HEARTLESS

Director: Kevin SluderBased on Edgar Allan Poe's “The Tell-Tale Heart." An overlooked associate struggles to complete a corporate presentation as a horrific secret gnaws at her conscience. Paired with Dementia Part 2.

MY MONSTER

Director: Izzy LeeChristmas is coming. If that's not stressful enough, Lily (Brea Grant) has to contend with a clueless partner (Adam Egypt Mortimer) and an unexpected, inter-dimensional holiday guest who just wants two things—blood and cuddles. Paired with All the Creatures Were Stirring.

TENNESSEE FILMMAKER SHOWCASE

Presented by Tennessee Entertainment Commission

AIM CENTER SHORTS

Director: Judith MogulA collection of stop-motion animations created by the members of AIM Center, which provides education, employment, housing, wellness and socialization opportunities for adults in recovery from serious mental illness. Created in the art studio using the simplest of means, these animations reveal the emotions, inner thoughts and imaginations of a population in our community that is too often misunderstood and neglected.

BIG AND TALL

Director: Clint TillA young girl and her best friend set off into the woods to find proof of a mythological creature.

BLACKOUT DAY

Director: Graham UhelskiA mini documentary about people’s experiences on the day of the total solar eclipse—August 21, 2017. A filmmaker collaboration of an incredible celestial event.

LEGS

Director: Madeleine HicksCara Smart dreams of one day becoming a professional swimmer, but her mother and doctor have plans to remove her body parts instead. This is a tale as old as time.

THE ELEPHANT TREE

Director: Judith MogulCombining live action with stop motion animation, The Elephant Tree reveals the intimate relationship between an artist and the landscape around her. Through sketches, sculptures and puppets, a world evolves in the artist's studio that reflect her reverie and sadness for the environment, which eventually is threatened when a developer begins to clear the land.

THE LOTTERY

Director: Karen Louisa LintonWhat kind of life can you have when your life is assigned for you by your government? One young woman tries to exercise what little freedom she has in order to change her life.

THE ORDER

Director: Chad CunninghamThree young scouts have been selected for a prestigious opportunity, but as they struggle to prove themselves, they realize nothing is what it seems.

Student Filmmaker Showcase

10 MINUTES TO SHOW

Director: Joshua DeFourPunk-rock drummer Charlotte "Charlie" Howe desperately wants to win an Austin battle of the bands competition, but 10 minutes before her band is set to perform, everything seemingly goes to hell backstage.

HEAD ABOVE WATER

Director: Eric ShahinianA devoted husband is forced to confront his doubts about remaining the caretaker of his wife suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

POSERS

Director: Sean ThiessenA coming-of-age creature feature that's also a story of teenage friendship, buddinglove, and figuring out how to fit in.

REDSHIFT

Director: Benjamin CraneAfter a bio-chemical attack renders earth infertile, mankind is forced to colonize Mars and mine the earth of its remaining resources. Among the miners is David Cain, who has grown tired of earth and longs for a new life. After the company decides to relocate to the red planet, David is given the option to transfer or remain on earth with his family. As tension rises between him and sister as they care for their dying father, David must weigh his commitment to family and his desire for a better life.

THE MEMORY BANK

Director: Austin FaustKaren awakens to discover that her payment has been declined at The Memory Bank, a cloud-based organization that retains and organizes customers’ memories. She’s then forced to delete memories in order to create new ones.

THE SECRET LIFE OF ART

Director: Catherine Mosier-MillsWhat if art came to life at night? Do works of art have personalities ? Do they wish to escape their assigned interpretations and roles? How do these works hold up in a modern context? This digitally-animated piece brings to life well-known works by masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Degas and Gauguin and explores what would happen if they could interact with each other during a chaotic night at the museum.

TWINKLE TWINKLE

Director: Mack WinzenburgA young woman named Amy discovers a mysterious record in her home. The record plays the tune "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," but Amy begins to fear for her life when it won't stop, no matter what she does.